Incubation conditions are the most important

factors afecting the hatchability of ostrich eggs.

As is known, temperature, humidity, ventilation
and rotation during the incubation period mark-
edly afect the hatchability of fertile eggs and chick
quality. e most dramatic efect of these factors on
the hatchability of fertile eggs is temperature.
e temperature experienced by a developing em-
bryo depends on three factors; incubator tempera-
ture, ability of heat to pass between the incubator
and the embryo and metabolic heat production of
the embryo itself (French, 1997).
e efect of temperature on the hatchability of
fertile eggs was investigated by many researchers
(Kosin, 1964; Landauer, 1967; Lundy, 1969; Meir
and Ar, 1990). e incubation temperature of os-
trich eggs under natural conditions was determined
to be 36.0C (Swart et al., 1987). Egg temperature
varies greatly among the species in natural incuba-
tion (Kosin, 1964; Wilson et al., 1979). Landauer
(1967) reported that the increase in temperature
during incubation was very critical for chick
embryos. Moreover, it was reported that growth
was retarded or ceased and the incidence of poor
second quality chicks increased as the temperature
was raised (Wilson, 1991). is study was carried
out with the aim of determining the efects of dif-
ferent incubation temperatures of ostrich eggs on
hatchability.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
e eggs used in the trial were from breeding os-
triches raised in South Africa. e nests of ostriches
were checked twice a day for the presence of eggs
and eggs were collected; as soon as they were laid,
each egg was coded by the date when they were laid
and transferred to a storage room. e eggs were
weighed individually on an electronic balance to
the nearest 0.01 g. e eggs were stored for 7 days
at 1518C and 80% relative humidity. e total of
282 eggs whose weights ranged between 1 320 and
1 480 g were used in the trial. ereafter, they were
incubated at temperatures 36.0, 36.6 and 37.2C
in three fully automatic incubators. Eggs were set
in the incubators 12 times during the laying pe-
riod. Relative humidity of 30% was provided for
these eggs in the incubators for 38 days and then it
was maintained at 40% until hatching. ey were
e efect of diferent incubation temperatures on the
incubation performance of ostrich (Struthio camelus)
eggs
A. IPEK, U. SAHAN, B. YILMAZ
Animal Science Department, Agricultural Faculty, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
ABSTRACT: is research was carried out with the aim of determining the efect of diferent incubation tempera-
tures on the incubation performance of ostrich eggs. e total of 282 eggs were incubated in a defned developmen-
tal period at 36.0, 36.6 and 37.2C in three fully automatic programmable incubators that were available on the
farm (12 times at one week intervals) during the laying period. e temperature applied during the growth period
in artifcial incubation of ostrich eggs signifcantly afected the hatchability of fertile eggs, embryo mortalities and
incubation periods (P < 0.01). Egg weight loss increased with increased temperature (P < 0.05). In this study early
and late embryonic mortality rates in eggs incubated at a high temperature were found to be high (P < 0.01). Eye
abnormality was observed in four of the chicks hatched at 37.2C.
Keywords: incubation; temperature; ostrich (Struthio camelus)
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 48, 2003 (7): 271274 Original Paper
271
turned at an angle of 45 every hour. Fertility was
determined via candling on the 14th day of incu-
bation. e eggs were candled on the 38th day of
incubation again, and those exhibiting embryonic
mortality were determined and removed from the
machines. Tthey were opened to determine the
time of embryonic mortality. Viable eggs were
weighed using an electronic balance to the nearest
0.01 g in order to determine the weight loss during
the incubation period. e incubation period was
determined and the hatched chicks were checked
for deformities.
e efect of diferent temperatures on the
hatchability of fertile eggs, hatchability of total
eggs and the incidence of embryonic mortality
and deformed chicks were revealed. Moreover,
the relations between diferent temperatures and
egg weight loss, chick hatch weight and length
of the incubation period were determined. Trials
were subjected to an analysis of variance (Minitab
personal communication, 1989), utilizing
ANOVA procedures for balanced data. Analyses
for percentage data were conducted after an arc
sine transformation of the data. Signifcant difer-
ences between treatment means were determined
by Duncans multiple range test.
RESULTS
e efects of diferent temperatures on hatch-
ability characteristics are shown in Table 1.
Data obtained by the research indicated that the
temperature applied during the growth period in
artifcial incubation of ostrich eggs signifcantly
afected the hatchability of fertile eggs, embryo
mortalities and incubation periods (P < 0.01).
Hatchability of fertile eggs declined with tem-
perature, for maximum hatchability a lower tem-
perature than 37.2C is desirable in the incubation
period. Embryonic mortality tended to increase at
37.2C (P < 0.01). Egg weight loss increased with
increased temperature (P < 0.05). Deformed chicks
were observed only at 37.2C. Length of incubation
was afected by the temperature (P < 0.05).
DISCUSSION
e efects of temperature on embryonic develop-
ment and duration of incubation period depend on
the temperature (low or high), age of the embryo,
duration of exposure and their interactions, as well as
humidity and type of incubator (Wilson, 1991). e
Table 1. e efect of diferent temperatures on the hatchability characteristics (mean SEM)
Temperature (C)
36.0 36.6 37.2
Total eggs (n) 92 90 93
Egg weight (g) 1 420.2 42.7 1 409.2 38.8 1 427.5 53.9 N.S.
Fertility 67.4 1.9 66.6 1.3 67.7 2.3 N.S.
Hatchability of fertile eggs 70.9 1.1a 71.6 1.9a 57.1 1.7b **
Hatchability of total eggs 47.8 1.2a 47.8 1.2a 38.7 1.1b **
Early term embryonic mortality 8.1 1.3b 8.3 1.6b 15.9 1.9a **
Middle term embryonic mortality 4.8 1.0b 5.0 1.2

b 6.3 1.3a **
Late term embryonic mortality 16.1 1.5b 15.0 1.3

b 20.6 1.7a **
Number of deformed chicks (n) 4
Egg weight loss 12.4 0.2c 13.7 0.3b 15.5 0.5a *
Incubation period (d) 42.6 1.1b 41.8 0.9b 40.8 0.8a *
a, b, c = means in the same line with no common superscript are signifcantly diferent at the P < 0.05, P < 0.01
level
*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01
Original Paper Czech J. Anim. Sci., 48, 2003 (7): 271274
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Czech J. Anim. Sci., 48, 2003 (7): 271274 Original Paper
273
optimum incubation temperature for ostrich eggs has
not been precisely established so far. Deeming et al.
(1993) reported that ostrich eggs could be incubated
at temperatures between 3537C. e incubation
of eggs at a variety of temperatures between 36.0 and
36.7C showed that incubation at 36.4C allowed
50% of all chicks to hatch within 42 days (Ar et al.,
1996). However, few studies have reported the infu-
ence of high temperature on hatchability, weight loss
of the embryo and length of the incubation period
of ostrich eggs.
Smith et al. (1995) determined the hatchability
to be 44% when applying a temperature of 37.3C
to the ostrich eggs during their developmental pe-
riod. In the present study the hatchability of eggs
subjected to a temperature of 37.2C was shown to
decline signifcantly.
A higher temperature inside the eggs could in-
crease the gradient of temperature between the
embryos body and the incubator, leading in turn
to more heat dissipated by evaporation and thus to
a higher weight loss before hatching (Gildersleeve,
1984). In this study, the weight loss from the eggs
incubated at 37.2C was rather higher than at 36.0
and 36.6C.
Decuypere and Michels (1992) noted that older
embryos were more afected by low temperatures.
In the present study the late embryonic mortality
rate in the eggs incubated at 37.2C temperature
was found to be high.
e incidence of congenital deformities was
generally excessive; the incubator temperature was
implicated as a potential cause (Deeming, 1993;
Stewart, 1996). Eye abnormalities were observed in
four of the chicks hatched at 37.2C. ese fndings
are in accordance with the presented results.
Swart and Rahn (1988) reported that the in-
cubation period for ostriches ranged between 40
and 44 days, 42 days being optimal. Jarvis et al.
(1985) found out that the incubation period was
prolonged by 23 days when ostrich eggs were
incubated at 35C compared with those incubated
at 36.0C while Deeming et al. (1993) determined
that the incubation period was shortened by 3 days
by raising the temperature from 36.0 to 37.0C in
single-stage incubators. Similarly, Stewart (1996)
found out that every 0.6C increase in temperature
shortened the incubation period by 1 day in ostrich
eggs. is researcher reported that the incubation
period was 2 days shorter in the eggs incubated at
37.2C. is result is in accordance with the results
of our research.
Eggs at diferent developmental stages are incu-
bated in the machines during weekly settings due
to the difculties of obtaining a sufcient number
of eggs especially at the beginning and at the end
of the laying period (Ar, 1996). Essentially, one
should try to incubate the ostrich eggs in single-
stage machines for high hatchability and optimum
incubation period. e presence of embryos at dif-
ferent developmental stages being together in the
multi-stage machines makes the temperature factor
even more important (Deeming et al., 1993). is
research indicates that the temperature is of great
importance in the incubation of ostrich eggs, even
a slight increase in the temperature of the incuba-
tor signifcantly afects the hatchability results.
erefore it is important to keep the temperature
at the optimum level and avoid the temperature
fuctuations in the artifcial incubation of ostrich
eggs. For the greatest success of incubation, the
adjustment of the temperature should not be more
than 36.6C in the incubator.
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Received: 030116
Accepted after corrections: 030627
ABSTRAKT
Vliv rznch inkubanch teplot na inkubaci vajec ptrosa (Struthio camelus)
Clem vzkumu bylo stanoven vlivu rzn inkuban teploty pi inkubaci ptrosch vajec. V prbhu snkovho
obdob bylo inkubovno celkem 282 vajec pi teplot 36,0, 36,6 a 37,2 C ve tech pln automatizovanch
programovatelnch inkubtorech, kter byly na farm k dispozici. Teplota pouit pi uml inkubaci ptrosch
vajec vznamn ovlivnila lhnivost oplodnnch vajec, embryonln mortalitu a dobu inkubace (P < 0,01). bytek
hmotnosti vajec se zvyoval s vy teplotou (P < 0,05). V tto studii jsme zaznamenali vysokou rannou a pozdn
embryonln mortalitu vajec inkubovanch pi vysok teplot (P < 0,01). U ty kuat jsme pi teplot 37,2 C
zjistili on abnormality.
Klov slova: inkubace; teplota; ptros (Struthio camelus)
Corresponding Author
Prof. Dr. Aydin Ipek, Uludag University, Agricultural Faculty, Department of Animal Science, 16059 Gorukle,
Bursa, Turkey
Tel. +90 224 442 89 70, fax +90 224 442 81 52, e-mail: bilgehan@uludag.edu.tr
Original Paper Czech J. Anim. Sci., 48, 2003 (7): 271274
274